quinta-feira, novembro 03, 2005

"«Desenrascanço» is a Portuguese word used in common language in Portugal, to express an ability to solve a problem without the adequate tools or proper technique to do so, and by use of sometimes imaginative resourcefulness when facing new situations. Achieved when resulting in a hypothetical good-enough solution. When that good solution escapes us we get a failure (enrascanço — entanglement). Most Portuguese people strongly believe it to be one of their most valued virtues and a living part of their culture. Obviously, they are aware that this subjective feature is not an exclusive of theirs.

However, some critics disagree with the association of desenrascanço to the Portuguese culture. They argue that this concept is related to the subjective evaluation of oneself, or of the Portuguese people, and that it belongs to the world of subjectivity and feeling. Some are of the opinion that the concept is related to the discoveries period and to student activities in the 15th century. But sceptics doubt there is any substantial proof of that relation.

Some say that in the 16th and 17th centuries it was very common for other exploring nations, such as the Dutch, to bring a Portuguese national along during the voyages, because the Portuguese were allegedly the most skilled and knowledgeable in the proper handling of the occasional emergency aboard the ship when the control of the vessel was given to them (what is known among the Portuguese as "desenrascanço"). Serious historians would disagree with the association between a 20th century idea and 17th century events. Apart from this myth, desenrascanço is in fact the opposite of planning: it's managing that any problem does not get completely out of hand and beyond solution."

E, mais adiante, a enciclopédia "livre" acrescenta:

"Although being a fictional American TV show character, MacGyver is a good example of 'Desenrascanço'. Whenever he finds himself in a jam (entanglement/'Enrascanço') he always manages to escape and to make the best of the situation using whatever items are at hand, e.g. using duct tape as a temporary solution to hold things together (things that usually would need welding or screwing) or using his pocket knife like a full toolset. Another fine example of "Desenrascanço" is the crude filtering apparatus the engineers come up with at NASA when Apollo 13 was faced with a dangerously high CO2 level due to a contingency where the lunar module was not designed to support three astronauts(instead of the usual two) for the extended period of time that it did (as depicted in the movie, "Apollo 13")..."